Environmental anchoring as a tool for a more conscious tourism
The case of dolphin-watching
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21724120 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lara Juvino (Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco), Nicola Schiel (0000-0002-2454-0912, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco), Maria F De la Fuente (0000-0002-4137-2404, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba), Antonio da Silva Souto Antonio da Silva Souto (0000-0003-1692-1958, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 1-9 |
| Publication date | 2025-09-23 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Ecotourism (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1472-4049 • E-ISSN: 1747-7638 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/14724049.2025.2560585 |
| OpenAlex | W4414485284 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 29 |
Anchoring is a cognitive process in which individuals use an initial reference point to make quick judgments or decisions. We investigated its applicability in nature tourism, specifically in dolphin-watching tours using motorboats, an activity with high tourist demand but known negative impacts on wildlife. To test the anchoring effect, we applied an informative text about the harmful consequences of motorboats on dolphin well-being. We conducted interviews with tourists to collect data, dividing them into an experimental group that received anchoring and a control group that did not. We also analyzed whether the anchoring effect differed between genders. Anchoring induced a negative perception of the activity, favoring dolphin welfare and conservation. The effect was more pronounced among women, suggesting greater sensitivity to messages involving environmental sustainability. These findings suggest that anchoring can promote more environmentally responsible attitudes in ecotourism contexts. Informing tourists beforehand may reduce harmful behaviors and support animal welfare and conservation. This shift in perception can benefit tourism by aligning expectations with responsible practices and enhancing the appeal of ecotourism. We propose the term ‘environmental anchoring’ to describe the use of cognitive heuristics to influence perceptions related to wildlife tourism and nature protection
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| Highly cited | No |
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